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Hoodia Extract Dietary weight management

Obesity is a major health problem and growing rapidly in numbers and severity. In addition there is a rising level of premature obesity in children and obesity is increasing in the developing world. 

Hoodia extract is a weight management functional food product based on an extract of the succulent plant, Hoodia, which contains a novel satiety stimulator that reduces calorie intake in overweight subjects, as demonstrated in a doubleblind, placebo-controlled clinical study. In this study, overweight but otherwise healthy male volunteers were randomly allocated to receive either Hoodia extract or placebo twice daily for 15 days. The Hoodia extract group showed a significant reduction in the average daily calorific intake compared with placebo (p=0.014) with a statistically significant reduction in body fat content compared with the placebo (p=0.035). No serious adverse events were experienced by any of the subjects, and the safety data are consistent with a satisfactory overall safety profile. The kinetic data confirmed that the systematic exposure to biologically active constituents of Hoodia was consistent with the observed clinical effects. Extracts of Hoodia and the active molecules therein are the subject of a global patenting programme, with major patents granted in the US, UK, Europe and Japan and pending in other major territories. 

Progress to date

In December 2008 a satisfactory mutual termination agreement (MTA) was concluded with Unilever. Under this MTA the original IP rights have been restored to Phytopharm and access to Unilever's patents has been secured. In addition, Phytopharm has secured access to the Hoodia supply chain (Hoodia extract, Hoodia dried product and plantations). 

Phytopharm is committed to realising the potential benefits of Hoodia extract as a functional food targeting weight management and is in early stage discussions with a number of interested partners. It is Phytopharm's intention to licence the Hoodia programme once a satisfactory business proposition emerges. During this process, Phytopharm's expenditure on the programme remains limited.